From National Weather Service, Tulsa
…VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A FIRE WEATHER ALERT
WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES…
IN ARKANSAS…
BENTON…CARROLL…WASHINGTON…MADISON…CRAWFORD…FRANKLIN AND
SEBASTIAN.
IN OKLAHOMA…
PUSHMATAHA…CHOCTAW…OSAGE…WASHINGTON…NOWATA…CRAIG…
OTTAWA…PAWNEE…TULSA…ROGERS…MAYES…DELAWARE…CREEK…OKFUSKEE…
OKMULGEE…WAGONER…CHEROKEE…ADAIR…MUSKOGEE…MCINTOSH…SEQUOYAH…
PITTSBURG…HASKELL…LATIMER AND LE FLORE.
STRONG SOUTH WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE
AFTERNOON WITH GUSTS NEAR 35 MPH LIKELY IN MORE EXPOSED AREAS.
TEMPERATURES WILL WARM INTO THE UPPER 70S TO AROUND 80 DEGREES
WITH RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES BOTTOMING OUT IN THE 25 TO 30
PERCENT RANGE AS WELL. THIS WILL CREATE CONDITIONS FAVORING THE
RAPID GROWTH AND AGGRESSIVE SPREAD OF GRASS FIRES TODAY.
CONDITIONS MAY MEET OR EXCEED RED FLAG CRITERIA LOCALLY…
ESPECIALLY IN AREAS ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 44. CONDITIONS
WILL GRADUALLY IMPROVE THIS EVENING…HOWEVER WINDS ARE EXPECTED
TO REMAIN IN THE 10 TO 20 MPH RANGE IN MOST AREAS WITH SLOW
HUMIDITY RECOVERY OVERNIGHT.
CAUTION IS ADVISED WITH ANY FIRE MATERIALS TODAY. ANY OUTDOOR BURNING
NEEDS TO BE CLOSELY MONITORED OR POSTPONED. DISPOSE OF SMOKING
MATERIALS PROPERLY AND AVOID ACTIVITIES THAT MAY START FIRES. ANY FIRE
WHICH STARTS WILL BE DIFFICULT TO CONTAIN.
A FIRE WEATHER ALERT IS ISSUED WHEN DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EXPECTED BUT ARE BELOW RED FLAG CRITERIA. A FIRE WEATHER ALERT MAY ALSO
BE ISSUED TO RELAY STATE OR COUNTY FIRE INFORMATION…SUCH AS BURNING BANS.
Looking ahead to swimming, information from the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City
Summertime means water time for many families. Millions of people will venture to their favorite spots to swim, play and create lasting memories. The most important part of these excursions is safety. Whether it’s the pool, beach, water park or lakefront the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City reminds the community that when in or around the water, it’s safety first.
“Water safety should be a primary concern when engaging in activities in or around the water,” said Terri Johnson, Director of Aquatics for the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City. “The Y’s advice to all adults and children is it’s never too late to learn how to swim.”
The Y teaches safety and confidence in the water through a variety of fun programs including swimming lessons, water fitness and lifeguard training.
To help keep children and families safe in the water this summer, the Y recommends the following safety tips:
- Learn to swim and learn the importance of water safety. The best thing you can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim — it’s never too late.
- Only swim where there is lifeguard on duty; never swim alone.
- Adults should constantly watch children in and near the water. If multiple adults are in the vicinity, designate a “water watcher” so everyone knows who is “on duty.”
- Inexperienced swimmers should take precaution and wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal floatation device (PFD) when in, on or around the water. Children who are beginners should swim within arm’s reach of an adult.
Jack Carson, state Agriculture Department, posts the following about fire danger on the Oklahoma Agriculture Blog
Mark Goeller’s fire activity report today doesn’t look good for firefighters in many areas of the state. He says fire danger today will range from high to extreme statewide as very poor humidity recovery in fine fuels occurred overnight. He also says competition for firefighting resources will be high today and extreme caution is advised.
Yesterday and overnight six fires were reported in the eastern Oklahoma protection area. Three were arsons and three were the result of people burning debris. Goeller said no requests for assistance were made from outside the protection area.
A Red Flag Warning has been issued for Tuesday from Noon to 9:00 p.m. for the following counties: Beaver, Beckham, Cimarron, Comanche, Cotton, Custer, Dewey, Ellis, Greer, Harmon, Harper, Jackson, Kiowa, Roger Mills, Texas, Tillman, Washita, Woods, and Woodward. Very High to Extreme Fire Danger can be expected as a result of low relative humidity values in the single digits to low teens, south winds in the 15-25 mph range with higher gusts and temperatures in the 80-90 degree range. Any fire that starts today in this area will be resistant to control.
Also, A Fire Weather Watch has been issued for Wednesday for the following counties: Alfalfa, Blaine, Caddo, Canadian, Garfield, Grant, Kingfisher, and Major. Very dry air, gusty winds, and warm temperatures will make fire suppression very difficult in and near the watch area. This Watch may be upgraded to a Red Flag Warning should fire weather conditions deteriorate.
Heat stress on firefighters will be an issue today with the forecasted high temperatures in western Oklahoma, Goeller warns. Firefighters should be sure to drink plenty of water to remain adequately hydrated.
Goeller also reminds the public that controlled burning today is not advised. Outdoor burning will be difficult or impossible to control under the forecast fire weather conditions. Be extremely careful with anything that could start a wildfire.
Report any suspicious wildland fire activity on the Arson Tip Line: 1-866-662-7766 (1-866-NO ARSON).
Red Flag Warning today, Fire Weather Watch for Wednesday, issued by National Weather Service, Norman
URGENT – FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
TUE MAR 30 2010
…VERY WARM…DRY…AND WINDY WEATHER TODAY AND WEDNESDAY…
…PRODUCT UPDATED TO INCLUDE BOTH A RED FLAG WARNING FOR TODAY
AND A FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR WEDNESDAY…
.A DEVELOPING LEE TROUGH AND STRENGTHENING SUN ANGLE WILL LEAD TO
STRONG AND GUSTY SOUTH WINDS…ALONG WITH MUCH WARMER AFTERNOON
TEMPERATURES IN THE 80S. PARTS OF WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN
NORTH TEXAS WILL EVEN REACH THE LOWER 90S ON WEDNESDAY. HUMIDITY
WILL EASILY FALL BELOW 20 PERCENT IN THE WEST EACH DAY…WHERE
TEMPERATURES ARE THE WARMEST. ELSEWHERE…HUMIDITY WILL REMAIN
JUST ABOVE 20 PERCENT ON TUESDAY…BUT WARMER TEMPERATURES MAY
DRIVE HUMIDITY BELOW 20 PERCENT ON WEDNESDAY. REGARDLESS OF THE
MINIMUM AFTERNOON HUMIDITY AT ANY GIVEN LOCATION…THE POTENTIAL
FOR WILDFIRES TO SPREAD RAPIDLY WILL EXIST THROUGHOUT OKLAHOMA AND
WESTERN NORTH TEXAS DURING THIS STRETCH OF WARM AND WINDY WEATHER.
HARPER-WOODS-ELLIS-WOODWARD-ROGER MILLS-DEWEY-CUSTER-BECKHAM-
WASHITA-HARMON-GREER-KIOWA-JACKSON-TILLMAN-COMANCHE-COTTON-
HARDEMAN-FOARD-WILBARGER-WICHITA-KNOX-BAYLOR-ARCHER-
TUE MAR 30 2010
…RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM CDT
THIS EVENING…
…FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
WEDNESDAY EVENING…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORMAN HAS ISSUED A FIRE WEATHER
WATCH…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
WEDNESDAY EVENING.
A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM CDT
THIS EVENING.
RED FLAG CRITERIA WILL BE MET TODAY…WITH INCREASINGLY WARMER AND
DRIER CONDITIONS AS ONE MOVES FROM EAST TO WEST THROUGH THE
WARNED AREA. BY NOON…WINDS WILL INCREASE TO SUSTAINED 20 TO
25 MPH…WITH GUSTS OVER 30 MPH. TEMPERATURES WILL RANGE FROM THE
LOWER 80S UP TO 90 DEGREES. MINIMUM HUMIDITY WILL RANGE FROM
18 PERCENT NEAR ALVA…LAWTON…AND HENRIETTA…TO AS LOW AS
10 PERCENT ALONG THE WESTERN BORDER OF OKLAHOMA…AND WESTERN
HARDEMAN…FOARD…AND KNOX COUNTIES IN TEXAS.
HUMIDITY WILL RECOVER ABOVE 20 PERCENT AROUND 9 PM…BUT WILL ONLY
RECOVER TO 45 TO 55 PERCENT BY SUNRISE WEDNESDAY. WITH SIMILARLY
WARM…DRY…AND WINDY WEATHER ANTICIPATED…A FIRE WEATHER WATCH
IS IN EFFECT FOR WEDNESDAY.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW…OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF
STRONG WINDS…LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL
CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.
A FIRE WEATHER WATCH MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR.
Hazardous weather outlook, National Weather Service, Norman
HARPER-WOODS-ALFALFA-GRANT-KAY-ELLIS-WOODWARD-MAJOR-GARFIELD-NOBLE-
ROGER MILLS-DEWEY-CUSTER-BLAINE-KINGFISHER-LOGAN-PAYNE-BECKHAM-
WASHITA-CADDO-CANADIAN-OKLAHOMA-LINCOLN-GRADY-MCCLAIN-CLEVELAND-
POTTAWATOMIE-SEMINOLE-HUGHES-HARMON-GREER-KIOWA-JACKSON-TILLMAN-
COMANCHE-STEPHENS-GARVIN-MURRAY-PONTOTOC-COAL-COTTON-JEFFERSON-
CARTER-JOHNSTON-ATOKA-LOVE-MARSHALL-BRYAN-HARDEMAN-FOARD-WILBARGER-
WICHITA-KNOX-BAYLOR-ARCHER-CLAY-
TUE MAR 30 2010
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK COVERS NORTHERN…WESTERN…
CENTRAL…AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA…AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.
.DAY ONE…TODAY AND TONIGHT…
THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK…
THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT.
DISCUSSION… DESPITE MUCH WARMER CONDITIONS AND SOUTH WINDS… THE
LOW LEVELS WILL REMAIN QUITE DRY THROUGH TONIGHT. INSTABILITY WILL
NOT BE SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT THUNDERSTORMS.
PROBABILITY TABLE…
VALID THROUGH 700 AM CDT WEDNESDAY MAR 31.
PROBABILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING IN THE
NWS NORMAN COUNTY WARNING AREA…ZERO PERCENT.
OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER…
WILDFIRE POTENTIAL WILL REACH VERY HIGH TO EXTREME LEVELS THIS
AFTERNOON OVER WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND PARTS OF WESTERN NORTH TEXAS. A
RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST VERSION OF
THIS PRODUCT FOR MORE INFORMATION.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY…
THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK…
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME MORE LIKELY FROM THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH
FRIDAY NIGHT AS A STRONG STORM SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS THE SOUTHERN
PLAINS. A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE…WITH THE
GREATEST CHANCE BEING OVER WESTERN NORTH TEXAS AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA.
OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER…
WILDFIRE POTENTIAL WILL BE VERY HIGH TO EXTREME AGAIN ON
WEDNESDAY… ESPECIALLY OVER WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH
TEXAS. CONDITIONS MAY EASE SOMEWHAT ON THURSDAY… AND THEN MORE
SUBSTANTIALLY ON FRIDAY… WHEN HUMIDITY INCREASES AND RAIN IS
FORECAST TO DEVELOP.
Welcoming 80 degrees
From Gary McManus of the Oklahoma Climatological Survey:
Hollis reached 80 degrees at 4:15 p.m., which is the highest temperature measured by the Oklahoma Mesonet since Arnett and Woodward reached 81 degrees on November 13, 2009.
Fire Danger: From Jack Carson, state Agriculture Department
Fire Danger today will range from high to very high west of a line from Grant County to Cotton County. Relative humidity values are expected to drop into the low 20% to 30% range, south winds will be in the 10 to 20-mph range with gusts into the low 20-mph range, with temperatures in the low to mid-70s. Cured, fine fuels will dry out quickly today, burn very intensely with rapid rates of spread.
A Fire Weather Watch has been issued for Tuesday afternoon for the following counties: Beaver, Beckham, Caddo, Cimarron, Comanche, Cotton, Custer, Dewey, Ellis, Greer, Harmon, Jackson, Jefferson, Kiowa, Roger Mills, Stephens, Texas, Tillman, Washita, and Woodward. Very High to Extreme Fire Danger may be expected tomorrow as a result of low relative humidity values in the 10-20% range, south winds in the 15-25 mph range with higher gusts and temperatures in the 80-90 degree range. Any fire that starts tomorrow in this area may be very resistant to control. Firefighting personnel in and near the Watch Area need to be prepared for extreme fire behavior tomorrow. A Red Flag Warning may be issued later in the day or tomorrow.
Special note to the public: Controlled burning tomorrow is not advised in the Watch Area. Outdoor burning will be difficult or impossible to control under the forecast fire weather conditions. Be extremely careful with anything that could start a wildfire.
Hazardous weather outlook, National Weather Service, Norman
From National Weather Service, Norman:
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK COVERS NORTHERN…WESTERN…
CENTRAL…AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA…AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.
.DAY ONE…THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT…
THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK…
THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT.
DISCUSSION…A DRY AND STABLE AIRMASS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH TONIGHT.
PROBABILITY TABLE…
VALID THROUGH 700 AM CDT TUESDAY MAR 30.
PROBABILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING IN THE
NWS NORMAN COUNTY WARNING AREA…ZERO PERCENT.
OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER…
WILDFIRES WILL BE THE PRIMARY WEATHER-RELATED CONCERN THIS
AFTERNOON. HIGH TEMPERATURE WILL RANGE FROM THE 70S…TO NEAR 80
DEGREES. HUMIDITY WILL FALL BELOW 35 PERCENT REGION WIDE…AND BELOW
20 PERCENT IN WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS. WINDS WILL
NOT BE PARTICULARLY STRONG TODAY…BUT SOUTH WINDS WILL INCREASE TO
BETWEEN 15 AND 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH IN WESTERN AREAS
THIS AFTERNOON…PLACING THE GREATEST WILDFIRE POTENTIAL WEST OF
FAIRVIEW…LAWTON…AND WICHITA FALLS.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY…
THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK…
THE RETURN OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL BE DELAYED BY SURFACE HIGH
PRESSURE SINKING WELL INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO. BY THURSDAY…
HOWEVER…A PROLONGED PERIOD OF SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL TAP INTO A
MODIFIED GULF RETURN…WITH DEWPOINTS INCREASING INTO THE 50S. THE
CHANCE OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE…POSSIBLY AS EARLY
AS THURSDAY NIGHT…BUT MORE LIKELY FRIDAY THROUGH EARLY
SATURDAY…AS A COLD FRONT AND UPPER LEVEL TROUGH CONVERGE ON THE
SOUTHERN PLAINS. THIS WEATHER SYSTEM IS LIKELY TO PRODUCE
THUNDERSTORMS WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. SOME SEVERE WEATHER ALSO
APPEARS POSSIBLE…WITH THE GREATEST CHANCE BEING OVER WESTERN NORTH
TEXAS AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA.
OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER…
THE POTENTIAL FOR WILDFIRES WILL INCREASE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.
THIS HAZARD WILL BE MOST PRONOUNCED IN WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN
NORTH TEXAS…GENERALLY WEST OF ENID TO CHICKASHA AND HENRIETTA
TEXAS. THE AREA WEST OF THAT LINE WILL EXPERIENCE VERY LOW HUMIDITY
COMBINED WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS. DURING THE SAME PERIOD…
AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES WILL RANGE FROM 80 TO 90 DEGREES. A FIRE
WEATHER WATCH IS IN PLACE FOR TUESDAY. CONDITIONS MAY EASE SOMEWHAT
ON THURSDAY…AND THEN MORE SUBSTANTIALLY ON FRIDAY…WHEN HUMIDITY
INCREASES AND RAIN IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP.
A Dustbowl Symposium, April 9-10, Guymon
From ArVel White:
Guymon — The event that came to be known as Black Sunday occurred on April 14, 1935, when a horrific dust storm hit the Great Plains. The Ochiltree County Herald , Perryton, Texas of April 18, 1935 stated, “The storm caught hundreds of people away from their homes. When the black blizzard descended it turned bright sunshine into the murky inkiness of blackest night.”
The 75th anniversary of that event is to be commemorated in Guymon on Friday and Saturday, April 9-10. Many scholars and experts in various fields will be featured and discuss aspects of the significance of the Dust Bowl to the area.
On Friday, April 9, there will be a showing of the documentary The Plow That Broke the Plains and the movie The Grapes of Wrath at Guymon’s Northridge 8 Theatres at 3 p.m. for 35-cents. Prior to that there will be live music of the ear featured for movie-goers.
Saturday’s events will begin at 8:30 a.m. at Draper Farms west of Guymon. Follow signs along Highway 54 for directions. All events are free that day, no registration is required, and one may attend any or all of the sessions. Major funding for this event is provided by the Oklahoma Humanities Council.
Dr. Guy Logsdon will speak at 6:15 p.m. on the topic, “Oklahoma Music in the 1930s.” He will also lead a gospel sing-along, Dr. Logsdon is a native Oklahoman who has earned international recognition as a scholar and entertainer; his special interests are Woody Guthrie, Bob and Johnnie Lee Wills and western swing music, cowboy songs and poetry, Will Rogers and Oklahoma history and music. In the early 1970s he wrote and narrated a television series titled Folklore of the Southwest (traditional cultures in Oklahoma) for OETA; he was Director of Libraries at the University of Tulsa where he also taught Oklahoma History. He has been featured coast to coast including at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Washington, DC; Central Park, New York City; the Autry Museum, Los Angeles; the Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Elko, Nevada; The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City and hundreds of other communities and gatherings across the nation.
Jess Nelson, former Guymon mayor, will welcome visitors and introduce speakers. There will be opportunities throughout the day for survivors to tell their stories at an open microphone. Dr. Paul Bonnifield, author of The Dust Bowl: Men, Dirt and Depression, will speak at 9:10 a.m. on the topic, “The Days of the Dust Bowl.” Bonnifield was a professor at Oklahoma Panhandle State University in nearby Goodwell when he did the research on his book.
Dr. Sara Jane Richter, head of the humanities department at OPSU will give her well-researched talk, “Down and Dirty, But Not Out: Women of the High Plains During the Dust Bowl” at 11 a.m. Richter is also the author of a readers’ theatre production to be presented at 3:45 p.m., If Only It’d Rain .
Food will be available for purchase at noon catered by a local church followed by activities for school-age children arranged by the Texas County 4-Hers and Girl Scouts.
Other speakers for the day include Gary McManus of the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, Steve Drillette of the National Weather Service, Dr. Pauline Hodges and Mark Harrison, Oklahoma Conservation Commission. Oklahoma Conservation Reserve Program director Rod Wanger of Stillwater will speak at 3p.m.
A free soup line supper will be held at 5:30 p.m. featuring stew and corn bread prepared by David Kidwell and helpers. Square dancers from Perryton, Texas will be featured during the meal. The evening will end with dancing at 8 p.m.
For a complete schedule of events with times, see the event website at thegritinyourteeth.com or go to Dust Bowl Symposium on Facebook. Other generous sponsors who are helping with the event include the Guymon Public Library, Guymon Friends of the Library, Guymon Convention and Tourism, Tri-County Electric, City National Bank of Guymon, Jimmie and Carrie Lou Draper, PTCI, Bank of the Panhandle, Mid-First Bank, The Willows (David Kidwell) and Guymon Enrichment Foundation.
State forecast from National Weather Service
STATE FORECAST FOR OKLAHOMA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
MON MAR 29 2010
.TODAY…SUNNY. HIGHS MID 60S TO MID 70S.
.TONIGHT…CLEAR. LOWS 40S TO MID 50S.
.TUESDAY…SUNNY…WARMER. HIGHS 70S TO LOWER 80S.
.WEDNESDAY…CLEAR. LOWS 48 TO 61. HIGHS AROUND 70 TO MID 80S.
.THURSDAY…MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWS 51 TO 63. HIGHS 76 TO 84.
.FRIDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
LOWS MID 50S TO MID 60S. HIGHS 70 TO 80.
